Mr & Mrs Titan (Paused)
by Bae4You
Summary: The two mafia families of Maria City, the Scouting Brotherhood and Titania, have hated each other since their founding. Finally the tension has come to a bursting point. When the Scouts make a deal with the Military Police, two members of Titania go undercover to take their foes down from the inside. Meanwhile, the bosses of Titania have a secret that could mean all-out war.
1. Ms Leonhardt

**Chapter 1** **–** **Ms. Leonhardt**

"Mr. Jaeger, this was addressed to you." A caramel skinned woman handed Eren a yellow folder as he walked by.

"Thanks Madelyn." Eren smiled as he took it from her, entering his private office.

"Not a problem, sir." She called after him.

He took a seat behind a brown antique desk settled himself into his custom black chair. As he did this, he couldn't help but wonder who had delivered the folder and what it contained. He thought about putting it off for later, but a red sticky note attached to it read: " **Confidential Information** ," letting him know that it would be best if he read it immediately.

At first, it was the usual mumbo jumbo; trades, income, exports, business deals. Just when Eren was about to throw the folder into his desk's drawer, a word in the second paragraph of the 6th page caught his attention: **Partner**. This alarmed him. Unless they had slipped in some weird dating advertisement, this could only mean one thing.

Eren continued to read and with each word, his anger grew. When he was finished, he nearly threw the folder across the room. Bertholdt and Reiner's suspicious behavior towards him earlier in the day made sense now!

They were buttering him up! Attempting to get him in a good mood, in hopes that he would accept the news!

 _They've got another thing coming if they think I'm going to accept this shit._

Getting up from his seat, he stormed out of the office, the folder tucked tight under his right arm, "Madelyn!"

"Yes Mr. Jaeger?" She stood up, surprised at the tone of his voice.

"Who exactly delivered this to you?" Eren tapped his foot, impatiently waiting for a response.

"Um, that would be Christopher." Madelyn told him.

 _So they didn't have the balls to come and drop it off themselves?_ Eren took note of that and, taking a deep breath gave Madelyn direct orders, "If I get any calls while I'm out, take a message. Have the person give their name and number and tell them I will get back to them as soon as possible."

"Understood." Madelyn nodded, "Sorry to waste your time Mr. Jaeger but, what if it's your Mother?"

Eren put his hand in his pocket, "Tell her I'll call her back as soon as I can."

He walked down the white marble hall, red velvet carpeting covering the floor. Along the walls there were unsigned paintings, mainly of men and women in extravagant dresses.

One particular painting was of a man wearing a white suit and fedora holding a gun, a trail of blood behind him. This painting was signed with the initials G.J. The initials were oddly familiar to Eren, but he couldn't put his finger on who it might be.

The elevator _dinged_ and out stepped two suited workers of Titania. They laughed and exchanged jokes, but as soon as one of them laid eyes on Eren, he bowed immediately. The other did the same and Eren waved, giving them permission to continue on with their activities.

Titania was like a Monarchy, you showed respect for those of higher rank and in-turn, you yourself would be regarded in a good light.

Coming to the end of the hall, Eren stopped and stood in front of two thick black wooden doors, both with silver skull doorknobs. He pressed his ear against the door, held his breath and listened.

"Yes, I'm still here." Bertholdt's distinct voice could be heard coming from inside the room, "What's taking you so long? You were supposed to be here half an hour ago."

Now sure that he was in the room, Eren swung the doors open, stomping into the room, "BERTHOLDT!" Bertholdt was by the window, looking out at the city.

Sighing, Bertholdt spoke into the phone, "Gotta go. We'll talk more when you get here." He hung up.

Eren slapped the yellow folder onto Bertholdt's desk. It didn't take a genius to figure out that Eren was angry. For what? Bertholdt glanced down at the folder. He could make a wild guess.

"Have a seat." Bertholdt calmly pointed to one of the black chairs on the other side of his desk.

" _Have a seat_ , my ass!" Eren flipped through pages in the folder before opening it to the root of his anger, "Is this some kind of joke?"

Bertholdt looked at the page, following Eren's finger as he ran under a certain sentence.

Looking up at him, Bertholdt nodded his head, "It's not a joke. You're getting a partner."

"What do I need a partner for?" Eren jumped at the chance to argue, "I work **alone**."

Bertholdt took a seat, not wanting to stress himself out but Eren kept pacing back and forth.

"Listen Eren," Bertholdt interrupted his pacing pattern, "Our contact has given us some useful information. The Military Police and the Scouting Brotherhood have called a cease fire for the time being. You know why? To get rid of us."

"So?" Eren reluctantly slid into a seat as he cracked his fingers, "That makes our work easier. Kill two birds with one stone."

Reiner scoffed as he entered the room, "If it was that simple, do you really think we'd be assigning you a partner? Our worst enemies have called an alliance, that means they have twice the weaponry, twice as many strategists and a _lot_ of man power."

"Not to mention the Scouting Brotherhood has those two assassins, Levi and Mikasa." Ymir's voice caused Eren to turn around.

"Ymir?" He questioned, "What are you doing here? Weren't you on a honeymoon with the Boss?"

"When your phone is bombarded with an array of text messages saying you're urgently needed..." She glared at Bertholdt, "You have to reconsider the whole honeymoon thing."

Bertholdt cleared his throat, "Yes, well...this is where you and your partner come in," He changed the subject, "Both of you will pose as recruits for the Scouts who have bad blood with Titania because a loved one was killed by us. Do enough acting and you'll get them to believe you."

"Why not the Military Police?" Eren questioned.

Ymir waved her hand, "Too much paperwork. They'd need a background check and for that we'd have to generate a whole new identity. The Scouts don't have that much access so joining them will be easier."

"Okay...but I still don't understand why I need a partner. I can infiltrate their ranks by myself." Eren pointed out.

"Yes, but can you defeat both Levi and Mikasa?" Historia posed the question.

She walked in wearing a black dress and wedges to match. Even at the height of 4'9", looking into her pale icy eyes would send murderous vibes down your spine. Her long blonde hair hanging over her shoulders added to her intensity, as with each step she took, it covered her eyes, giving off a mysterious vibe.

Ymir, Bertholdt, Reiner and Eren bowed. Historia Reiss, the Godmother of the Titan Mafia Family, a position that had been handed down to her by blood. No one dared to disrespect her.

"Try to understand Eren," She took a seat in Bertholdt's chair as he pulled it out, "This isn't about whether your abilities have gotten shabby or not. This is a precaution. We're at a disadvantage right now and we can't have the enemy snuffing out one of our best men."

The part about being one of the best men went to Eren's head, but he still wasn't happy about a partnership, "I won't go against your orders, Madam Reiss, but is my partner capable of keeping up with me?"

"That's an arrogant statement, don't you think?" A woman stepped into the room, "You don't even know me."

Eren turned around, "It's not arrogant if I have reason to believe it's true.

She smiled in a taunting manner, smoothing down her red dress, "Oh really? Mind testing that theory?"

With one look, he sized up the woman. She was a full seven inches shorter than him, probably around five feet. Her blonde hair was short, and would most likely drop to her neck, if it wasn't pulled into a bun at the moment.

Her blue eyes were less frightening than Historia's, as they seemed to resemble the color of the Caribbean sea. In fact, just staring at them made Eren envision himself on a private ship, surrounded by miles and miles of water.

He shook his head, now was not the time for day dreaming.

Usually Eren wouldn't accept challenges from a total stranger, much less a woman. But with Titania's highest ranks present, he felt the need to defend himself. That and, if he declined now, they would all believe he was scared of losing.

"May I?" Eren looked to Historia for permission.

Historia nodded her head in acknowledgment, "Go ahead."

Eren drew his gun in record time and aimed it at the woman's forehead, "Check."

The woman smirked for a second, but soon after he sly grin disappeared. She ducked down and ran up to Eren in a flash. His eyes weren't able to keep up with her movements and before he knew it, she slapped his gun out of his hand, caught it and held it to his forehead steadily.

"Checkmate." She smiled, handing his gun back to him.

"It was because I couldn't shoot." Eren muttered, "If you had been an enemy, I would have pulled the trigger without hesitation."

The woman raised an eyebrow, "Losers always have excuses."

Before Eren could respond, Ymir clapped her hands, "That's enough. We're all in this together. Family shouldn't create hostile feelings between each other."

"Pardon my rudeness Madam Reiss." The woman bowed, "I should have greeted you the minute I stepped in."

"Don't worry." Historia dismissed it, "Everyone needs time to get used to it."

How unfair, Eren reminisced. His first day here had been the exact opposite. Memories of his head being smashed into the wall by Historia resurfaced.

"Eren, what's with the look?" Historia noticed.

"Nothing Madam." Eren shook his head.

Historia looked him in the eyes and Eren was forced to look down. She couldn't be human. No one else on Earth had eyes like hers, eyes that seemed look into the depths of your soul.

"Eren." Bertholdt introduced the two of them, "This is your partner, Annie Leonhardt."

Annie held her hand out and Eren took it, placing a kiss on the middle of her knuckles. It was a match to test his theory and he had been proved wrong. There was no need to hold any grudges over such a trivial matter.

"Eren, Annie will be **formally** joining Titania. We'll hold the ceremony at ten." Historia informed him, "You know where to go."

"Yes Madam." Eren bowed, "I'll be leaving now."

"Oh, I will as well." Annie bowed, following behind Eren.

Once they were out of Bertholdt's office, Annie nudged him lightly, "Do you mind if I stick with you? I'm not familiar with this building and I'm not particularly into being alone in a new environment."

"Not a problem." Eren shrugged, "We can go to the lounge. You need to memorize its location because if you work here long enough, you'll find yourself there a lot."

* * *

"So, how did they bring you into the Family?" Annie asked Eren as they took a seat.

They were sitting at the bar section, waiting for Leslie to make and bring them their drinks. The lounge gave off a chill night club vibe, the lights dimmed to purple and blue. Various pool tables were in use, men and women sat together in other chairs, laughing the hours away.

Eren twirled his pistol around his finger, the veins in his forehead slightly tensing. Annie could tell this was a subject he wasn't comfortable talking about.

"Hey, if it's personal, you can forget I ever asked." Annie said quickly, not wanting to destroy relations between them before they even began.

"It's fine, it's fine." Eren assured her, shaking his head. "We're partners after all."

Leslie came back with two glasses of alcohol, "For Eren, we have a Whiskey Sour and for his pretty lady friend, we've got a Mint Julep."

"Thanks Leslie." Eren slipped him a fifty dollar bill.

Once Leslie left, Annie turned to Eren again, taking a sip from her drink, "You were saying?"

Eren sighed, taking a shot of the Whiskey, "My Dad was the _**Consigliere**_."

"Wow!" Annie looked at him in shock, "An adviser to the Boss! Did he work with Madam Reiss?"

"No way." Eren shook his head, "Madam Reiss was a kid then. He worked with her older sister."

"You said worked." Annie noted, "Where is he now?"

"6 feet under." Eren finished the rest of his drink in one sitting.

"I am so sorry." Annie put her hands to her mouth, "I didn't **–**! I would never have asked if **–** "

"I told you, didn't I?" Eren held a hand up, interrupting her, "It's fine."

Annie nodded and leaned her arm on the counter, using it to prop up her head.

He tilted his head to look at her, "Enough about me. Why don't you tell me how you got yourself caught up in this world? A pretty lady like you should be married."

"Married?" She socked him in the arm, "Really?"

"That was rude of me." He apologized, "I just meant, you're intelligent, you're witty, you're beautiful...You have a lot of things going for you. Why get involved with the Mob?"

"Well..." She thought for a moment, "I wasn't born into it like you but I have connections."

He raised an eyebrow as he lit a cigarette, "Connections? Like who?"

"Try Bertholdt and Reiner for example." She laughed, pushing her drink aside.

"You're kidding!" Eren took a hit, "How?"

"They're my foster brothers." Annie told him, her eyes drooping a little.

"Foster? Both of your parents are dead?" He realized he had phrased his question insensitively, "I mean, well-"

"I know what you meant." She said, "To answer your question, my Mom died when I was a kid and My Dad's somewhere. He's not dead, as far as I know."

"Well whoopty doo." He blew out a cloud of smoke, "My Dad's dead, your Mom's dead, my Mom's alive, your Dad's alive. We can supply each other the parents we're missing out on."

She yawned, "Don't count on my Dad to be there. All he's good for is abandoning people."

"You feeling a little sleepy?" He held out his cigarette, "This'll help you stay awake."

She put her hands up to decline, "Oh no, I don't—"

"Come on Leonhardt," He continued, inching closer, "Don't tell me you don't smoke."

She pursed her lips, "I was going to say I like to have my own cigarette."

"What's wrong?" He cocked his head to the left, smiling drunkenly, "Afraid of a little saliva?"

She took the cigarette from him and inhaled a large amount of nicotine, "Who's afraid?"

"Atta-girl!" He clapped, impressed at her assertiveness before checking his watch, "Look at that, it's only half-past eight."

She groaned, "And my head feels like shit now. How can you smoke right after you drink?"

"It takes years and years of practice." He patted her on the back.

Annie flinched at his touch, but tried not to look bothered, "I need a place to lie down. And this bar counter isn't exactly comfy."

"You could always lie with me." Eren flirted, "I'd show you a good time."

"No thanks." She straight up denied him, "I have a policy not to date my co-workers."

"We're not co-workers." He argued as he got up, "We're in the same family for God's sake."

"That's an even better reason." She nodded, "I don't do incest."

He laugh out loud, "Man! You are a smart one! I do happen to know a room or two. These are in my personal wing however, so don't expect to be able to use them whenever. Not unless you have a pass from me."

"We're family remember?" Annie used his own words against him, "I _definitely_ get a pass."

* * *

 **Information We Can Share So Far:**

 _The **Consigliere** is a member of the family second only to the boss. Meaning **C** **ounselor** , he or she rarely ever makes goes into combat and is only there to advise the boss on tough calls._

 _A Consigliere MUST be loyal, as they are most often the right-hand man of the boss. Being the right-hand has its privileges. As you are so close to the boss, you are one of the few people who have a right to argue with him._

 _Level-headed, they tend to act as a mediator for those lower than themselves family tree. Beloved by all, once could argue that he or she is the linchpin of the family._

* * *

"Ugh..." Eren muttered as he sat up, "Where the hell..?"

He looked down and saw he was in bed and next to him lay Annie, snoring lightly in an ignorant bliss. Accessing the situation, Eren realized that Annie had fallen asleep next to him, although the events leading up to it were hazy.

As quietly as he could, Eren slid out of the bed and made his way to the bathroom. Each step brought feeling back to his dead legs. By the time he made it to the toilet, he was back in working condition.

After easing himself, he turned on the warm water and rubbed his hands together with soap. While washing his hands, he stared at himself in the mirror. He was starting to grow a beard, he thought, as he ran his hand over his chin, hairs prickling him. He'd have to shave after the ceremony...

The hangover left him completely as he remembered. The ceremony! What time was it? He looked at his wrist and learned that he had discarded his watch, probably on the bedside table. As he suspected, his white Rolex watch was laid out on the table.

Picking it up to snap back on his wrist, the time read 9:48.

"Annie!" He shook her in a rough manner, "Annie, wake up!"

"I didn't make a noise..." She mumbled as she got up, "I didn't make a noise."

Eren gave her a confused look, "What are you talking about?"

She blinked twice, registering Eren's figure. When her sight was clear, she let out a sigh of relief, "I thought...never mind. What is it?"

"The ceremony is going to start in twelve minutes. We overslept."

"We?" Annie looked appalled as he got up, "You mean we slept together?"

"There's only one bed." Eren pointed out to her, "Anyway, that's not important right now. We're going to have to run for it."

"Fine, but you still need to tell me what happened after this." Annie walked over to the door, opening it.

Eren grabbed her hand and again Annie tried to push any squeamish feelings deep down inside of her. He had no harmful intentions. He wasn't even aware of her past.

"Pick up the pace Leonhardt!" Eren's voice brought her focus back to their current task.

Eren would have to show her this route again, they were turning left and right every five seconds. Just when she though he had completely lost his bearings, he stopped in front of a metal door.

"We're here." He glanced at his watch, "Ten o'clock on the dot."

He pressed his thumb down on the fingerprint-reading lock and the door made a clang sound, before cracking open.

Eren pushed it in and stepped aside, "Ladies first."

"How generous of you." Annie rolled her eyes as she walked in.

The room was nothing like she had imagined. Perhaps it was the word ceremony that threw her off. She had been expecting a room dimly lit by candles here and there, hooded, robed members chanting ancient words and a demonic circle in the middle.

Instead, Historia, Ymir, Bertholdt and Reiner stood around a table, discussing possible trade partners in their respective outfits from earlier in the night.

"Look who decided to show up." Bertholdt grinned at Annie, "Lost track of the time?"

"Yeah, something like that." Annie rubbed the back of her neck, "Forgive me, Madam Reiss."

"No worries Annie." Historia held her shoulder, "It's your first day, you get a free pass."

Again, Eren wondered why Annie was being given special treatment. Was it a gender thing? Sister from another mister? The age-old rule that being a woman created an unbreakable bond? Whatever it was, Eren wasn't liking it, but he made sure his face did not display his emotions.

"Let's get on with it." Ymir interrupted his thoughts, "Reiner, you tell her the oath."

Reiner stepped forward, clearing his throat, "Listen carefully, then say it after me."

He recited the oath completely and when he was done, nodded to Annie, "You got all that?"

Annie took a deep breath, " _I, Annie Leonhardt, do solemnly swear to uphold Titania's image and work for its sole rule and glory. This oath I hold close to my soul._ '

Historia held out her right hand and Annie kissed the red ring on her middle finger. With this final act, she was officially a member of Titania.


	2. Birth

**Chapter 2 - Birth**

"Come on Mrs. Ackerman, you're doing just fine. Take deep breaths and push." The doctor advised her, placing herself at Petra's front.

Petra took a deep breath and pushed as hard as she could manage. When she felt like she couldn't keep going, Levi squeezed her hand lightly. In return, Petra would use his hand as a stress reliever.

Levi couldn't complain. In fact, he was glad she was crushing his fingers. Petra's face was a light red, flushed with sweat, causing the hair around her forehead to stick together. Right now she was giving her all to give birth to their child and that was something he couldn't ask for more.

[ **Nine Months Earlier** ]

 _"I want children." Petra's sudden statement shattered the silence in the living room._

 _Levi turned away from the TV to look at her, surprise all over his face, "Wait, what? Where is this coming from?"_

 _"Face it Levi, you're a thirty year old man and I'm a twenty-nine year old woman. A woman's twenties are her prime time to get pregnant." Petra crossed her arms, pressing them against her chest._

 _"Hold on, we have Mikasa!" Levi pointed out, "We have a child!"_

 _This response was not what Petra wanted to hear, "Levi, I love Mikasa with all my heart, I do. But I want my own children too. Last time I brought this up, you mumbled something and the subject was dropped. You don't want kids? Is that it?"_

 _"Wait, wait, wait." Levi sat up, "It's not that I don't want kids, I just don't think we should be rushing this."_

 _She sighed, clearly not satisfied with his argument, "Levi, please-"_

 _"Petra, listen to yourself." Levi interrupted her, "You said it,, you're twenty-nine years old."_

 _"So what? Women younger than me have had kids." She didn't see the significance in bringing up her age._

 _"That's not what I'm saying," Levi held her right hand, "When you're in your twenties, you go through a stage known as the Family Stage. It's when maternal instincts kick in out of nowhere and you feel the overwhelming need to have children."_

 _"In other words, you don't want us to have kids." The stubbornness was evident in her voice._

 _"Honey, that's not true and you know it," Levi brushed his thumb over her knuckles, "We need to be sure this is what we want."_

 _"This **is** what I want Levi!" Petra's face threatened to burst into tears, "The question is, is it what you want?"_

 _"Petra-"_

 _"Do you want kids?" She asked him again, sucking in a sharp breath._

 _"_ _You wanted this." H_ _e grabbed her by the waist and tossed her over his right shoulder._

 _"W-What are you doing?" Petra questioned, the fear evident in her voice._

 _Staying silent, he walked down the hall and kicked open their bedroom door. He threw her down onto the bed and proceeded to close the window shades._

 _"Do you want the light on or off?" Levi asked her._

 _She took this as an opportunity to slow him down, "Levi I'm not-"_

 _" **On. Or. Off** Petra?" He cut in, annoyance clear in his voice._

 _"O-On." Petra told him._

 _He flicked on the beside lamp and got on the bed, climbing on top of her, "I'm not going to slow down for you."_

 _"But I-"_

 _Interrupting her with a passionate kiss, he began unbuttoning his shirt. Pulling back for air, he spoke, "No buts."_

 _His lips found her neck and began to kiss. Petra gasped and tried to change positions,_ _but to no avail._ _Levi had her pinned down under him and was unzipping her jeans. She grabbed his shoulders, digging into them in an effort to push him away._

 _This wasn't going the way she wanted. It was happening too fast. As his kissing turned to biting and his hand slid into her underwear, she let her hands fall from off his shoulders. Why was she fighting him? He was doing what she asked. Stopping him now would only put all her efforts to waste._

 _Levi noticed that she had stopped resisting and removed his lips from her neck to look at her._ _As soon as he saw the tears trailing down her cheeks, the sexual fire lit in him fizzled out. He got off of her._

 _She sat up slowly, the look on her face one of confusion, "What's wrong?"_

 _"I'm what's wrong." H_ _e reached out to touch her, "I'm sorry. I wasn't even aware of your feelings."_

 _She left his words hanging in the air and a_ _fter a minute of self-hating silence, he inhaled through his nose and went over to her side, pushing her hair back behind her ears._

 _"I'm sorry." Her apology cut him like a knife, "It was the tears right? I should've held them in..."_

 _Levi shook his head, "Don't apologize. If you hadn't cried, I don't know what I would've..." He trailed off._

 _She buried her face in her hands, "I'll stop bringing up kids. It's fine if you don't want them."_

 _"You shouldn't have to do that to yourself." Levi pulled her hands away from her face, "Maybe...maybe I'm not the one for you."_

 _"What?" Petra grabbed his hands tightly, "Levi, don't say that! There is no one that I'll ever love as much as you, you know that!"_

 _"So what are we going to do? I don't want to have kids right now!" Levi accidentally raised his voice while addressing her._

 _Petra flinched at his sudden change of volume, "W-Why don't we talk about it?"_

 _His eyes drifted to the scar on her left collarbone and he let out a sigh, "Okay."_

 _Petra swung her legs over the side of the bed and patted the space beside her. Instead, Levi laid out on the bed, his head in Petra's lap._

 _"Let's start with the most obvious question." She touched his hair, "Why don't you want to have kids now?"_

 _"Not the right setting." He answered quickly._

 _"We can move. We don't have to live in the city."_

 _Levi shook his head. "It's not that it's just..." He let out a deep breath, "Nothing, never mind."_

 _"This is the problem Levi." Petra made him look her in the eyes, "We don't communicate. How am I supposed to understand what you're thinking if you don't talk to me?"_

 _"You want me to talk to you? Okay. Petra, we have ties to the Mob. And we're still working for them. Having kids at this time will only make them targets. What happened to you, do you want it to happen to our daughter?! Our son?!" Levi covered his face with his hands._

 _"That won't happen." Petra said firmly, "They'll have us to rely on. And Erwin and Hanji and-"_

 _"No." Levi shook his head, "I can't risk that Petra."_

 _"You don't have to risk anything," Petra whispered, nuzzling his nose with hers, "They'll be so protected, our enemies won't be able to get their hands on them. There is no risk."_

 _"But there **is**." Levi continued to argue, "You had me and yet I still let you, I still let you-"_

 _"Stop blaming yourself for that." Petra squished Levi's cheeks together, "We were young and clueless, nothing like ourselves today. Besides, you rescued me."_

 _Levi blinked away tears, "But if I had been stronger, then they never would have hurt you."_

 _"Hey now." She brought her forehead to his, "Where's the stone faced man I love? Don't cry for me. Just do me this one favor."_

 _The two lovers stared into each others eyes, reaching an agreement._ _Levi brought his head up, kissed her lightly, "Just one kid."_

 _"Just one kid." Petra repeated, "For now."_

[ **PRESENT** ]

"The baby's almost out." The doctor looked at Levi, "If she can just give one long push, it'll be over."

"You heard him Petra?" Levi brought his face to Petra's level, "Just one more."

"I-I can't." Petra panted.

Levi kissed her forehead, "Don't say that. Give it all you've got. You're almost done."

Petra took a deep breath and held Levi's hand so tight, he was sure he'd need a cast for the next few days. She gave one final push and the wails of a child echoed in the room. The heart monitor beeped rapidly and Levi looked at the doctor.

"What's going on?"

"She's going into cardiac arrest." She placed two hands over Petra's left breast and started performing CPR, "Nurses, we have a code blue! Someone please get me a defibrillator!"

Levi watched in horror, unable to do anything. Why was this happening? She had just finished giving birth for God's sake. Was she going to die without even meeting her child? Was she going to die and leave him all alone?

"Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to stand back." One of the nurses pulled him away from the table.

"Is she going to make it?" Levi grabbed the nurse by her shoulders, "Is my wife going to make it?" The look in his dark blue eyes was a mixture of fear, worry and fury.

"I-We have to see." The nurse couldn't give him a definite answer, "But please, stand back."

"Our child." Levi looked around, "Where is our child?"

Eager to get out of the room, the nurse nodded, "This way. It's a girl, by the way."

He followed her to the infant nursery and pressed his head against the class, "Which one is she?"

The nurse pointed out his daughter to him, she was in the middle, wrapped in a purple blanket, "There she is."

Levi's eyes softened, "Can I hold her?"

"After birth, it's recommend that the baby sit on its own for a few hours." The nurse dashed his hopes of holding her.

He held his hand up to the glass, envisioning her soft skin, "Alright. Please update me on Petra's condition."

"I will." The nurse promised him.

Levi took a seat and clamped his hands together. He didn't believe in God, not after all the things he had been through, but he was willing to try if he would save Petra.

* * *

"Why is she so red?" Mikasa asked her Father, holding her younger sister carefully.

"What do you expect?" Hanji's famous sarcasm went to work, "She was born today."

"I know that." Mikasa rolled her eyes, "But she's been exposed to oxygen for a few hours. Shouldn't she be...I don't know, lightening up?"

"Being inside Petra must have cooked her up. It'll take a long time for that to heal." Hanji chuckled, her dark brown hair shifting with each chest motion.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Levi questioned her, folding his hands.

"Petra's got a fiery temper." Hanji shrugged her shoulders, batting her light brown eyes, "Wouldn't be surprised if your daughter ended up the same way."

"Take that back right now, four eyes." Levi stomped in Hanji's direction, "Before I rip you limb from limb."

She fell for the bluff and scurried out of his reach. In the process of doing so, she ran right into Erwin, who smiled down at her before turning to Levi.

"Trying to kill my wife, Levi?" Erwin hung his coat, "You know I wouldn't let you off easy if you did that." He had on a black and white plaid shirt, matching white jeans and two black military boots on his feet.

"Tell her to keep Petra's name out of her mouth. If she does that, she won't have to worry about dying by my hands." Levi warned him.

"Honey, keep your opinions to yourself." Erwin chuckled, kissing her cheek, "I don't know how I'd go on if you died by Levi's hands. And who would Armin look to as his Mother figure? Right Armin?"

"Yeah, sure." Armin waved his hand and plopped down beside Mikasa. They both played with the newly born infant, Armin opting to hold her.

"They look like young parents." Hanji whispered to Levi, as Mikasa fussed over how Armin was holding the baby girl.

"God forbid, my daughter and your son." Levi snorted, "If he even thinks of anything, I'll-"

"Relax Levi." Erwin held up a hand, "They're practically cousins. Armin doesn't see Mikasa in that light."

"We don't know that." Hanji tapped her fingers on her thigh, "Maybe they have thought about it. Anyway, what's the problem? They'd make some cute babies."

"Armin is allowed to go out with Mikasa when I'm dead, period." Levi snapped.

"Oh come on." Hanji whined, "Don't you want grandchildren?"

"Not at this age." Levi muttered, "Can we drop this subject?"

"I second that motion." Erwin removed a folded piece of paper from his pocket, "There's actually something I wanted to talk to you about."

"Am I included in this conversation?" Hanji asked her husband, resting her head on his chest.

"Of course you are." Erwin kissed her forehead, "As I was saying, there's a dance involving the Militants-"

"Say no more." Levi cut him off, "You want me to go, don't you?"

Erwin nodded, folding and unfolding the paper, "It'd be a real shame if my Vendetta couldn't appear at one of the most crucial and touching moments of this alliance."

"Bullshit." Levi rolled his eyes, "My wife is recovering from a heart attack. That should be a reasonable excuse."

"Come on Levi." Erwin scratched his head, "You know you're my number one."

"Honey." Hanji pinched his ear, "If you say anything else I'm going to assume you two are having an affair."

" _Guy_ , Hanji, he's my number one _**guy**_." Erwin shook his head, "So, will you come?"

Levi bit his lip. Petra was recovering, she need him here to help right? But knowing Petra, she wouldn't want to impose on any work-related ventures.

"I'll have to talk to Petra about it." Levi rubbed his legs, "Whatever she says goes."

"Alright." Erwin stood up, "I think it's about time we left. Call me when she gives her verdict."

"Aw Dad, we're going?" Armin looked up from Levi's newborn, "Can't we stay just a little longer?"

Erwin ruffled his hair, "Look at you, a sixteen year-old whining like you're eight. Don't worry. We'll see the Ackermans again, okay? We're going to a party together."

Levi shook his head. There Erwin went, promising things that weren't certain. How he could say such things with such a straight face and a great deal of confidence sometimes made Levi envious. But it also grew the respect Levi had for him. After all, he was the Godfather of the Brotherhood.

Armin did not look pleased as he got up, "Fine."

"Dad, hold her for a minute?" Mikasa gently put her younger sister into her Father's arms. Once she was secure, Mikasa turned to the leaving Smiths.

"Bye Aunt Hanji, bye Uncle Erwin." Mikasa hugged them.

When it got to Armin, they just smiled and hugged each other tightly, Armin whispering something in Mikasa's ear. Levi shot Erwin a look as if to prove his point. Armin was trouble and Levi definitely didn't want his daughter getting involved with his Boss's son. Erwin simply shrugged in response.

After the horrendously long goodbye's came to an end, Mikasa kissed Levi on the cheek, "Goodnight Dad."

"Goodnight sweetheart." Levi nodded, watching her walk down the hallway and enter her room. Once her door clicked shut, Levi turned to his baby girl.

"I'm sure you're tired too." Levi said to her as he entered the Master bedroom. Petra was tucked in bed, wrapped in layers and layers of duvets, but Levi could tell she wasn't asleep.

He sighed, "The doctor said you should rest Petra."

"I know." She said as she sat up, peeling away the covers, "But I couldn't sleep without her right next to me."

"Speaking of which," Levi set their daughter down in the crib before taking a seat next to Petra, "We haven't named her. Her birth certificate's first name entry is blank."

Petra put her hand to her mouth, "Hm...why don't we name her after your Mother?"

Levi's face darkened, "Not her. She's our first blood child Petra. Let's name her something meaningful. Not after my Mother."

"Levi-" Petra was interrupted by a coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" He pressed his hand against her back, unsure of what to do, "Do you need your pump?"

She waved her hand, "I'm-I'm fine."

He pursed his lips together, "We should go back to the hospital. Make sure nothing is wrong with you."

"Levi, no." Petra grabbed his shirt, "Stop trying to avoid the subject of our daughter's name."

Levi took a deep breath, "You're not going to say yes to any other name, are you?"

"Nope." Petra smiled faintly, her brown eyes twinkling.

"Fine." Levi looked at their newborn, "Welcome to the world Kuchel Jr."

"See?" Petra leaned against her husband's shoulder, "Doesn't that have a nice ring to it?"

"Jr? Yes. Kuchel? No." Levi crossed his arms, still unhappy with the results, "Before I forget, there's this dance Erwin mentioned..."

* * *

"Honey!" Hanji called from inside their bedroom, "Your phone's ringing!"

"Who's the caller?" Erwin yelled from the shower.

Hanji looked at the caller ID and grinned, "Levi!"

Shutting off the water, Erwin stepped out of the bathroom, wrapping a towel around his waist as he entered the bedroom. Hanji tossed him his cellphone, which he caught with his right hand.

"Yello?" Erwin held the phone between his left ear and shoulder.

"Hey Erwin, it's me." Levi responded, "Yeah, Petra gave me permission to go."

"I knew she would." Erwin clapped his hands, "The theme is semi-formal so just wear a tux. Oh, and don't be late."

"Copy that." Levi hung up.

"What'd he say?" Hanji asked, running her eyes over Erwin slowly.

"Petra gave him permission." Erwin informed her, setting his cellphone down on the bedside table.

"Are you going to bed like that?" Hanji questioned, pointing out his apparent nudity.

He waved his hand, "I'm too lazy to get up to wear something. Might as well just stay like this."

Hanji removed her glasses and let her hair down, freeing it from its usually messy ponytail. She brushed her lips against his ear and whispered, "Too lazy for me?"

"Of course not." He propped his head up, "But we haven't done it in a while. What put you in the mood?"

"Mm, let's just say seeing Levi and Petra's daughter made me think about having a kid myself." Hanji got on top of him, sitting on his chest.

"Is that what we're doing?" Erwin raised an eyebrow, "We're trying to make kids?"

"I said it made me _think_ about having one." Hanji reminded him, "I just want to have you right now."

Erwin smirked, "Say that again."

Hanji leaned down and purred his ear, " _I want you_."

He flipped them over, caressing her behind, "Your wish is my command."


	3. Memories

****Chapter 3**** ** **– Memories****

"What's this?" Eren asked as he finished his donut, clapping his hands together to remove any crumbs stuck to his hand. He looked at the file Bertholdt had set down in front of him.

"This," Bertholdt tapped the file, sliding it over to Eren, "Is the plan."

"The plan." Eren repeated, giving him a blank look, "Right. The plan for what?"

"YOU IDIOT!" Bertholdt shouted into his ear, furious at Eren's stupidity, "THE PLAN TO INFILTRATE THE ENEMY!"

"Jesus, scream it out loud, why don'tcha?" Eren muttered, rubbing his left ear. Sometimes Bertholdt could be a little to overbearing.

Bertholdt let out a sigh. Rubbing his eyes and the bridge of his nose, he calmed himself down, "Okay Eren, look. I know you're a more of a ' _Talk less, act_ _more_ ' kind of guy, but I am telling you right now, that will ****not**** work for this mission."

Eren sipped his coffee and stood up with the file. After smacking his lips loudly, he spoke, "It won't work if you don't try."

"Eren!"

"I'm just kidding!" Eren put his hands up, surrendering, "Learn to take a joke Bert."

"This is not a joke!" Bertholdt grabbed Eren by his collar, his brown eyes flaring, "I'm sure you know by now that Annie is my foster sister. If anything happens to her because of you, I will make your life Hell. On. Earth."

Eren stared back defiantly, "I swear that if anything happens to Annie that she can't recover from, I'll kill myself."

Bertholdt dropped Eren, a serious look on his face, "This is the mafia Eren. Don't go swearing things you don't mean."

"Who said I didn't mean it?" Eren questioned.

"I've warned you." With that, Bertholdt turned around and walked out of the briefing room. Even though he hadn't said it, it was clear he would hold Eren to his word.

Eren leaned back in his seat, "Well, fuck me for getting too excited. What did I say I'd do? Kill myself for her?"

He shook his head, "I can't even..."Eren took his phone out of his pocket, scrolled through contacts and when he found the person he wanted to speak to, he tapped the number and waited.

It rang three times before it was picked up, "Hello?" A female voice answered, sounding like she had just woken up.

"Hey, it's me." Eren smirked to himself as he spoke to the unknown mistress, "I'm coming over to let off some steam; unlock the door for me."

" _ _Ooo__." She laughed on the other end, "You better hurry; once I fall asleep, I won't be getting up."

* * *

Annie warmed up her vocal cords, singing low and high notes at different speeds. The mic sounded a bit off so she adjusted its volume.

Reiner entered the studio, "Hey! Starting without me?"

Annie smiled as she shook her head, "Just getting ready."

"Alright. I'm gonna put on the soundtrack. You good?" He asked her.

She flashed a thumbs up and patted the headphones down on her ears. Reiner nodded to the guy on the soundboard and he started up the track. Ariana Grande's ****Dangerous Woman**** began to play. Annie nodded along to the drums being tapped and twelve seconds in, she began singing.

Annie remained on beat and never missed a beat. When she was done, Reiner nearly clapped his hands off, "You sounded beautiful Annie!"

She removed her headphones and grinned, "Thanks Reiner, I just hope I sound like that at the dance. Do you think Eren'll want to come listen in or...?"

Reiner rolled his eyes at Eren's name, "That guy's impossible. He's always doing his own thing. I've called him three times and he won't pick up. Make sure you don't get too close to him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Annie asked, unsure of what she might hear. According to Eren, they had fallen asleep together the night of the ceremony.

"I don't want to tell you how to live your life Annie, but Eren's not...he's not boyfriend material. Hell, he's not even friend material. He's just gonna come into your life and wreck everything." Reiner gave his honest opinion about Eren.

"But you can't just decided that based on your experience with him." Annie argued, "When I hung out with him in the lounge he was nice and relaxed. He even bought me a drink."

Reiner waved for the soundboard guy to leave and once he shut the door behind him, he turned to Annie, "Do you hear yourself right now? __He bought me a drink so he must be a nice guy__ _._ "

"That's not what I said."

"It's _exactly_ what you said." Reiner shook his head, "Annie, if I buy a girl who I've never spoken to before, a drink? I'm trying to get into her pants."

"But Eren-"

"You don't know him like I do!" Reiner raised his voice, "Do you really want to go through this again? Remember Heath?"

Annie winced at the name, "Reiner..."

"No, do you remember him?" Reiner crossed his arms, "And he was a golden boy! No one ever knew what he truly was until you told us! Then you see a guy like Eren, who's as shallow as they come and you're actually thinking about trusting him?"

"He's not Heath." Annie covered her ears with her hands, "You're wrong."

Reiner softened his approach, removing Annie's hands from her ears, "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have brought him up. But I needed you to snap out of this happy-go-lucky mental state. This world is a dark place and now that you've joined Titania, it's only going to get darker."

* * *

Eren caressed the girl in his arms, running his left hand up and down her shoulder. She had fallen asleep after hours of _recreational activities_. His phone buzzed and he reached over her to grab it from the bedside table. It was a text from Annie.

 **You alive?**

He snickered as he typed back, **Why? Worried?**

An instant reply, **Of course. If you die, I have to do the mission by myself**.

 **Piss off Leonhardt** _,_ He replied.

 **That's soon-to-be Mrs. Jaeger to you. Coming back anytime soon?**

 **On the way** _ **.**_ He chuckled to himself as he got up. His right arm popped out from under the girl, causing her to wake up.

She rubbed her eyes, "Babe? Where are you going?"

"Ah..." He clicked his tongue, "I just got called in for work. You know how it is."

She whined, "Aw..."

He locked their lips for a good few seconds, "Don't worry. After I get my check, I'll come right back. Then we'll _really_ have fun."

"Ooo la la." She pressed her lips against his while talking, "I can't wait..."

He buckled his belt and pulled on his white tank top. After he was done lacing up his boots, he left the house. It was only when he was halfway down the street that he remembered something.

"My shirt." He muttered, "She's wearing it."

He thought about going back for it, but simply waved his hand, "I can always buy another one."

As he walked down the street, rain began to pour and Eren hurried to the corner, waving his hand for a taxi. Finally, a bright yellow cab slowed down and allowed him to enter it.

"Where to?" The driver had a Russian accent. He looked to be in his late forties or early fifties, streaks of gray mixing in with his brown hair. There were bags under his eyes, as if he had been up late for the past few nights.

"18 Colossal Place." Eren sat back in the car.

"Eh...that's gonna be $23.50."

Eren slipped a fifty dollar bill to the man, "Keep the change."

The man looked back at him, surprised at the generosity, especially with such an amount, "Thank you sir! Do you want me to get you there fast?"

"No." Eren shook his head, "Take the longest route possible."

"Longest?" The man repeated, wanting to be clear on his directions.

"Longest." Eren confirmed, then leaned his head against the glass.

The car pulled out onto the road and Eren watched the scenery outside. Couples, friends, family. Everyday people walked these streets, each living their individual life. How peaceful it seemed. To think, the peaceful sounds of rain and footsteps would soon be replaced with chaotic gunfire.

He reached under his shirt and pulled out the key on a string he wore around his neck, murmuring to himself, "Dad...what the hell happened to you?"

Keep his eye on the key as he twisted it, he up, "Hey man, there's somewhere else you need to take me. I'll give you a hundred dollars."

"Do not worry Sir. Even if you gave me five cents, I would still take you. Where is this place?" The driver looked at him through the rear view mirror.

"The city graveyard." Eren changed his destination, "What's your name?"

"Ivan." The man introduced himself, his voice no longer gravely and old, but lit with a warmth of welcoming.

"Ivan, give me your number." Eren took his phone out from his pocket, "I might call you again if I need a ride."

He told Eren his number and even repeated it to make sure, "Thank you Sir. And may I ask what your name is?"

"My last name is Jaeger." Eren told him, "It'd be better if you didn't know my first name."

"Sir..." Ivan paused before speaking, "Are you, perhaps, engaged in something dangerous?"

"Would that bother you?" Eren tested him, reaching for the foldable knife in his back pocket.

The light had turned red and Ivan took the opportunity to pull away his turtleneck, exposing a tattoo. This was not just any tattoo however, it was the symbol of the largest Russian crime syndicate.

"You're a _Bratva_." Eren said with a mixture of stunned realization and admiration, "I didn't know they were still around."

"They're not, at least not here. I just decided to stick around." Ivan shifted in his seat, the topic of his old Mafia affiliation was not one he was comfortable discussing.

The light turned green and as Ivan eased up off the brakes, he took the passing interval to ask Eren, "What family are you with?"

"Titania." Eren told him, "We don't have a brand we use to identify ourselves, unlike the others."

"That's actually the smarter move." Ivan nodded, making eye contact with the rear-view mirror, "Your enemies have allied with the police. How does your boss intend to deal with them?"

"It's all covered." Eren smoothed his hands over his pants, "Titania will emerge on top. We always do."

Ivan whistled, impressed by the boy's nonchalant courage and faith in his Famiglia "You've got guts, I'll give you that. We're here, if you haven't noticed."

Eren stepped out of the car, "Thank you. I trust you'll be available for any random travel call?"

"We'll see." Ivan lit a cigarette and drove away.

Eren stuffed his hands in his pockets as he marched through graves. So many dead people, all with corroded or messed up tombstones. But not the one he was going to see.

The one he had come to visit had a solid white triangular cross as its headstone. It read: __Amico Amato__ _,_ ****A Beloved Father**** **.** Memories from the funeral, when Historia's Father had explained the danger of putting his Father's real name, as well as sobbing and deep sadness resurfaced in Eren's mind.

"Dad," He stooped down by the grave, "I'm going undercover. We're going to crush these sons of bitches once and for all. And when I find the bastard that killed you, I'll personally cut off their finger."

Another painful memory, a package being delivered with his Mother's name on it, his stupid, _stupid_ curiosity that wouldn't let him leave the box alone. And then opening it to find a bloody pinky...

He muttered the Lord's prayer, kissed the key on a rope his father had left him and stood up, "Alright; guess I can head back now."

* * *

"Eren, you're back." Annie pointed out as he walked into the lobby.

He was soaking wet, tracking rain and mud into the building. When she looked at his eyes, there was a quiet humbleness about them, as if he had just witnessed the passing of a beloved family member, but had come to terms with their death along the way here. It made Annie want to reach out and hug him for some reason.

But before she could do something so foolish, Reiner snapped her out of her weird thoughts. " _ _About__ _time_." Reiner crossed his arms, tapping his left foot, "Where the hell were you?"

"Out." Eren's paid Reiner no respect as he walked up to the front desk, "Christopher, call down some towels for me, would you?"

"Of course, Mr. Jaeger." Christopher picked up the desk phone and dialed an extension, "Yes, could we have someone bring down some towels for Mr. Jaeger? He's soaking wet and..."

"I ****know**** you were out Jaeger." Reiner stomped towards him, annoyed by his answer, "I'm asking where?!"

Eren glared at him, "Any reason why I should tell you?"

"A reason? You missed Annie's vocal session, didn't read the plan Bertholdt handed to you...! I'm sure there's _numerous_ things you haven't done! Eren, you better have a great fucking explanation or else-"

"Lemme stop you right there." Eren held his hand up, "I __read__ the plan and I know what we're going to do. And Annie's vocal session? Do I have to be there? Is it imperative that I listen to her sing? No. So get the **fuck** off my ass."

The elevator __dinged__ and out stepped an attendant with a white towel. His presence stopped Reiner from slugging Eren right then and there.

"Mr. Jaeger, you wanted a towel." The attendant held it out, warmth radiating from it.

"Thank you." Eren took the towel from the man and turned back at Reiner, "Now if there's anything new that I need to know about, let me know. Otherwise, fuck off." Content with this, Eren took the emergency stairs to the right, leaving Annie and Reiner in the lobby.

Once he left, Annie looked at Reiner, raising a questioning eyebrow, "What's his problem?"

"I don't know Annie." Reiner let out a sigh, "I just don't know. That's why I told you not to get close to him. He acts right for a few days and then gets all bitchy out of nowhere."

Annie frowned at him, "Maybe he's just having a bad day. Don't have to call him a bitch behind his back."

"Oh don't worry," Reiner patted his chest, "I'd say it to his face if he were here."

"That doesn't make it any better." Annie threw a water bottle at Reiner as she went past the front desk.

"And where are you going?"Reiner called after her, catching the water bottle in one hand

She spun around to answer him, "Lounge." And continued walking.

Reiner shook his head as he entered the elevator, "Thanks Eren; you introduce my sister to the lounge, you turn her against me...just wait."

"Um, Mr. Braun?" Christopher called him, holding the phone to his ear, "Madam Reiss would like to speak to you in her office."

"Ah?" Reiner scratched his head, "Alright, if she's still on the line, tell her I'm on the way."

* * *

After Madelyn had gotten him a new shirt, he had changed and retreated to his office, sprawling out on the sofa.

 _Damn memories._ He covered his eyes with his forearm, _Get your head right Jaeger. This mission can't risk you losing it._

A knock at the door brought him out of his self-reflection, "Come in."

It was Annie. She peeked through the door before fully entering, closing the door behind her, "I wanted to check up on you."

"On me?" He asked, sitting up, "Why?"

"You were out in the rain, not to mention you came in soaking wet." She leaned against his desk, "You might catch a cold if you're not warmed up properly."

"A cold?" Eren chuckled, "Worried you'll catch the sniffles from me? I'll try not to sneeze on you."

"I'm serious! A lot more people die from a cold than you think!" She warned.

He raised a hand, "Wait, wait, wait. We have police officers and enemies that want us dead and you think my worst problem is a cold?" He laughed loudly, "That's great! That's really great!" He slapped his knee.

She pursed her lips, pretending to be annoyed, but really she was glad to see his smile. _Reiner said a lot of shit to him back there, good to see he doesn't hold onto anger. He's even a little cute._

Annie paused, _Wait, cute? Where'd that come from?_

"So how did you plan to warm me up?" He was suddenly in front of her, "Or did you come here just to scare me?"

"Oh y'know," She searched around the room for a distraction, "I was just thinking you might want to turn on the heater or get a blanket, something like that."

"Oh really?" He questioned, pressing her against the desk, his arms blocking her from slipping away, "I was thinking something more...intimate."

She knew she'd hate herself for this, but she had to know what he was thinking, "L-Like?"

"We could sit by the fire." He pointed at the fireplace, "Or if that's too boring, we could cuddle."

"Cuddle?" She furrowed her brows.

"You know, hug." He explained, "Like this." He wrapped his arms around her before she could do anything.

His grip was secure, but not tight. Reassuring but not choking. It was like the world had come to a stand still and the only ones still able to move were Eren and her. Unconsciously, she eased into the hug, resting her head on his chest.

They would've stayed that way, had it not been for his phone.

"Ah shit." He cursed, letting go of her, "Sorry, I gotta get this."

She nodded, snapping out of her hugging-state, "It's fine, take the call. I'll just be...here."

He raised a hand in appreciation as he whipped out the cellphone, heading for another room as he answered the call, "Yeah, babe? My shirt? I know, I left it on purpose. Why? You were sleeping why would I..." His voice faded as he shut the door.

 _You heard it yourself: babe?_ Annie shook her head, facepalming, _Reiner was right,_ _h_ _e's_ _not a good person at all_ _._ _He's the worst of the worst._

Taking the chance, she looked at his desk and found a framed picture of him and a woman she presumed was his Mother.

"Why do the worst people seem so nice on the outside?" She sighed, setting the picture down.

Rubbing her wrist, she muttered under her breath, "I've got it backwards. It's because they're so nice you can't see the ugliness right in front of you."

A green-eyed ginger popped into her head and she tried her best to remove the image from her head.

He smirked, " _Still afraid of me?_ "

"Shut up." She bit her lower lip, "You're not real; you're not even alive."

" _Your brothers made sure of that, right?_ " He grinned, " _Because you made a fuss, they came and took care of lil ole me. How do you feel getting an innocent person killed?_ "

"You're **nowhere** near innocent." She said bitterly.

" _Oh come on._ " He frowned, " _Just because I got a little rough doesn't mean you had to have me assassinated._ "

"A little?" Annie coughed, "You think what you did to me was a little rough? You-You fucking..." She tightened her fist.

" _Nothing you can do about it now._ " He shrugged his shoulders, " _Guess you'll be seeing me way more often._ " He started to walk away.

"What do you mean by that?" She asked.

" _Who knows._ " He pulled on his hoodie.

"Heath." She called his name, grabbing his mental apparition and turning him around, "What do you-?"

The person she was looking at was no longer Heath, but Eren. His eyes shined a strikingly similar color to Heath's as he reached out to her.

" _What's wrong Annie?_ " His hand touched her chin, " _Cat got your tongue?_ "

"N-No." She tried to move back but was stuck in place, unable to move, "Stay away."

" _Stay away?_ " Eren tilted his head, " _Oh I can't do that. You know you want me close by. So close by..._ "

"NO!"

"Annie!" Someone yelled her name, bringing her back to her senses.

She blinked, looking around; she was still in Eren's office, although when she had ended up by the fireplace she didn't know.

Searching for the source of the voice, her eyes landed on Eren, leaning against the door to the room he had entered. From what she could see, it was a bathroom.

"You alright?" He asked, approaching her, "You look pretty shaken up."

She slapped his hand away on instinct, drawing a confused face, "Sorry, I just...I'll see you later." She swiftly left his office, leaving him to wonder what he had done wrong.


	4. Night of the Ball Pt 1

**Chapter 4** **–** **Night of the Ball Pt. 1**

"Annie Jaeger." She repeated her new name as she looked at herself in the mirror, "My name is Annie Jaeger."

She was wearing a black dress with one sleeve on her right shoulder; said sleeve was long and droopy, like a bird's wing. Along the waistline was a sewn-in gold sash that shimmered every time light landed on it. Gold earrings and black stilettos completed the look.

"Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?" Eren whistled, leaning against the door behind her, "Annie Jaeger."

He was wearing a white suit a black button-down long-sleeved shirt, with a white tie hanging loosely around his shoulders. He brought his hands around her waist and leaned into her shoulder.

"Could you not?" She pushed his hands down, "I'm not...I don't like people touching me."

"My bad." He held his hands up in a surrendering pose, "You didn't say anything when we slept together though."

"Please don't put it like that." Annie frowned, "If Reiner or Bertholdt were to hear that, you'd be on the floor gasping for air. We fell _asleep_ together."

Eren shrugged his shoulders, "What difference does it make? That's an intimate moment in my book."

Annie rolled her eyes, muttering something incoherent. She turned away and adjusted her earrings, fussing over trivial things about her outfit.

"You look fine." Eren swept her hair to one side, "No, you look beautiful."

They made eye contact and Annie felt her cheeks flush as they looked into each others eyes. Was he going to do something? From her point of view, it looked like he was leaning forward. Was he going to kiss her? How would she react? Should she even _let_ him kiss her?

Before her head could explode from a massive overload, there came a knock at the door. Eren opened it and Annie's shoulders slacked as she returned her normal posture. Reiner, Bertholdt and Ymir stepped in. While Bertholdt and Ymir were virtually expressionless, Reiner shot a glare at Eren, who, in a childish manner, glared back.

"Okay." Ymir snapped her fingers, "I don't plan on standing here for the rest of the night. Get on with it."

Bertholdt clapped his hands, "Well, we basically just came to run over the plan one more time."

"And answer any questions." Ymir reminded him.

"Right." He nodded, "So, tell us what you guys are going to do." Bertholdt motioned for one of them to speak.

"We're going there to make connections, join one of the other families and infiltrate their camp. From there, we'll take them down from the inside." Eren paraphrased, giving his run down of operations.

"I agree completely." Annie supported him.

Ymir rested her head on her fist, "Hm, you two _**do**_ realize that this is enemy camp right? There's no friendly sniper around to help if things go sour. For all we know, they could kill you out of suspicion and dump your bodies in the sewer."

"Wow, way to be positive Ymir." Reiner shook his head, clearly disgusted at the visualization of Annie's body decomposing.

"I'm being realistic." Ymir shrugged her shoulders, "If it were us, I definitely wouldn't trust two random brats. Smells like a trap."

"What if Ymir's right?" Annie turned to Bertholdt, "We're walking in blindly."

"You'll go armed." Bertholdt quickly answered her.

"Absolutely not!" Eren objected immediately, "Do you know what they would do if they found guns on us?"

"You can't go weaponless!" Bertholdt argued, appalled at the thought of Annie being surrounded by enemies, defenseless.

"Who says we can't?" Eren questioned, "We've got each other's backs."

"Sure." Reiner sneered, "Like you're a reliable partner Eren. I'm not putting Annie's life in your hands."

"Trust me!" Eren's face was growing redder by the minute. "It's not like I'm gonna abandon her!"

"Trust you?!" Reiner stood up, "How can I trust you when you act like you're so goddamn mighty, huh Eren?!"

"BOTH OF YOU!" Annie slammed her fist down on the desk, "THAT IS ENOUGH!"

Reiner and Eren both turned to look at her, shocked at her outburst.

"I don't need a gun _or_ a man to protect me! I can protect **myself** , thank you very much. Are we clear?" Annie eyed the both of them, daring one to say something.

They kept quiet, taking the hint.

"Well." Ymir stood up, "Since we've sorted all that out, I think it'd be nice if you guys got going and I returned to my beautiful wife, am I right?"

Eren picked up his suit jacket, "I'll be waiting in the car." He left the room

"That guy's got a screw loose or something." Reiner muttered as the door clicked shut.

"I said _enough_." Annie glared at him, "You're a 23 year-old bickering like a 5 year-old."

"But he-"

"But nothing." Annie cut him off, "Grow up Reiner." And with that, she left the room too.

"Ho ho." Ymir gloated, "Big bro made little sis mad. Suppose she'll need some comforting now. Not from a family member, of course."

"Stuff it Ymir." Reiner snapped at her.

Ymir put her hands up, indicating she didn't want any trouble, "I'm just voicing my opinion. Annie seems to have this air of...sexual tension around her. Seems to me like she just needs some good ole, reliable-"

"Don't you _**ever**_ mention Annie and sex in the same sentence." Bertholdt pointed a finger at Ymir in warning, "You hear me?"

"Okay!" Ymir rolled her eyes, "Damn, what kind of overprotective brothers are you two? She's gonna leave one day. You both know that, right?"

"We know." Bertholdt nodded, "But until that day comes, we will do everything in our power to protect her."

Ymir narrowed her eyes, but said nothing.

* * *

As promised, Eren was waiting in the car the famigliahad assigned to him: a black Rolls Royce Wraith. Expensive, but not so flashy that they'd draw attention to themselves.

Annie got into the passenger seat beside him and he pulled out onto the street, following the route the GPS had calculated for him.

The first few minutes of the ride were tense with silence, until Annie decided to break it with an apology.

"Listen," She shifted her weight to her left side, facing him, "I just wanna apologize for Reiner. He had no right to-"

Eren let out a sigh, interjecting, "It's fine. I don't care."

Annie bit her lower lip, hesitant to comment.

He glanced at her, "You wanna say something?"

"It's not really my place to." She confessed.

"What year is this? 1941? Speak your mind; it's a free country." Eren shrugged his shoulders.

"Well, I just noticed that you say it's fine a lot. Like, whenever something I'd expect you to be bothered by comes up, you say it's fine." Annie told him.

"So what are you trying to say?" He asked, confused on her point.

The stoplight turned red and he slowed the car to a halt, turning to face her.

She crossed her arms, "You're not fine. I can't tell if you're upset, or pissed, but I know for a fact you're not fine."

"It's none of your business, is it?" His question cut her like a knife and he saw it in her face, "That came out ruder than I meant it to be."

Annie stared out of her window, leaving Eren to feel like a jackass. Their silence was less slicing however, as Roberta Flack's smooth voice flowed through the car, singing lovely melodies.

"I know we've only known each other for a week, but if this partnership is going to work, you have to trust me. How can you tell me about your Father's death and not how _you_ feel?" She questioned, voicing her opinion.

Eren slowly accelerated as the light turned green. He took a few seconds to collect a basic outline of his thoughts before speaking, "I've been in this Mafia business for a long time and I've learned that opening your heart to people is worse than death. People you think you can trust, turn on you in a second for anything."

"But I wouldn't-"

"Maybe you would, maybe you wouldn't." Eren cut her off, "But my mind's just...it's set like that. I couldn't tell you about myself even if I wanted to, sorry."

Seeing as there was no point creating a rift between them before they arrive, Annie took a deep breath. She would just have to accept that answer, "Fair enough. Everyone has things they keep to themselves. Even I have a few secrets."

"Really?" Eren tried to keep his eyes on the road, but his curiosity had spiked from that statement, "Things you can't tell me?"

Annie shook her head, "Things I _definitely_ can't tell you."

"Alright." Eren licked the inside of his mouth, an action he had a habit of doing when he was thinking, "That's fair enough; let's just drop the subject."

Annie couldn't agree more, and she shut her eyes, going over the song she would sing.

* * *

"They definitely went all out." Eren whistled as they entered Eldia Hall.

It was decorated in blue, white and green from top to bottom. Even the chandelier lights were tinted. As beautiful as it was, what caught their attention were the armed men stationed everywhere they looked. The men didn't give off a menacing vibe, some even laughing and chatting with guests, all the while toting their shotguns and pistols.

He couldn't afford to slip up, Eren thought to himself as he waded his way through the crowd, keeping Annie close behind. This venue could be their resting place, if he didn't play his part.

"We should find a seat." Annie's voice brought Eren out of his thoughts, "We'll attract attention if we're noticed standing up. Especially when no one knows us here."

"Right." Eren nodded, agreeing with her, "But the question is...where?"

He scanned the room. Tables were filled to the brim, some holding more than deemed safe. Finally he spotted a free table close to the stage. Those sitting at the table seemed to be around their age and it looked like there was just enough space for the two to squeeze in.

"That way." Eren pointed, grabbing Annie's hand, "Stay close."

After countless apologies, waiting and politeness, the table came into sight. As they approached it, Eren spoke to Annie under his breath, "Don't say anything pointless. Introduce yourself, speak when spoken too and then sit back and watch, I've got this."

"Aye Aye, Captain." Annie rolled her eyes, "As a matter of fact, I have an idea? Why don't I run out, buy a blonde wig and then give _you_ this dress so you can play both parts?"

Eren sighed, "Don't start this right now. Not when we're so close."

"Start what?" Annie snorted, face-palming "Now I understand what Reiner was talking about. You're insufferable."

"Reiner said something about me?" Eren furrowed his eyebrows, "What did that bastard say?"

"Don't call my brother a bastard!" Just as Annie was about to launch into an argument with him, a young man with shoulder length blonde hair and sky blue eyes approached them.

"Hello. Can I help you two?" He asked, seeming generally concerned.

Eren turned to him immediately, glad at the sudden distraction, "We came kinda late and now there's no where to sit. You wouldn't happen to have any extra space would you? If not for me, at least let the lady seat."

"Oh! We actually have just enough room for you two." The boy's eagerness alerted Annie, but Eren's eyes told her to play along, "Follow me." He led them to the table Eren had spotted from afar and stopped at the corner.

"There are two seats right there. They were originally for my parents but I have a feeling I won't be seeing them anytime soon." He spread his arm, pointing.

Eren removed his suit jacket, claiming one seat. He held his hand out to the boy, "My name's Eren Jaeger. You are?"

The boy shook Eren's hand firmly, "Armin Arlert. Is she your girlfriend?" He nodded at Annie.

"Fiancee actually." She spoke for herself, holding her hand out to Armin, "Annie Jaeger is my name."

"Fiancee? Wow!" Armin kissed the back of her hand, "Pleased to make your acquaintance."

Eren took a seat, silently urging Annie to do the same. She complied, but scooted her seat away from his a little. He almost sighed aloud. She intended to make this a difficult night, that much was clear.

"May I ask where the rest of this table's occupants are?" Eren looked up at Armin.

Armin sat across from them, on the other end of the round table, "They announced that the buffet line was open a few minutes ago. I asked a friend of mine to get me a plate while they all went."

"I suppose I should be getting some for us then." Eren started to stand up.

Armin put a hand up, "Don't bother. The event organizers saw how chaotic it was so they quickly closed the food lines. Soon a waiter will come around with a platter and you can choose something.

"Alright." Eren leaned back into his seat and stuffed his hands in his pockets. He prayed to God that Armin wouldn't ask any prying questions. Thankfully, the average teenager had the attention span of a squirrel. Soon Armin was texting away on his iPhone 6, leaving Eren and Annie to their own devices.

Annie however, would not so much as make eye contact with Eren, much less speak to him. He scratched the back of his head: girls were so complicated. He still didn't even fully understand what had angered her in the first place. All he had told her was to keep quiet and let him do the talking...

Going over that, Eren saw his mistake. Placing his head in his hands, he argued with himself. Although he had stepped out of line telling her to sit back and shut up, she could have solved the problem by addressing the issue, not by cracking a sarcastic remark.

With this logic, Eren concluded that Annie was in the wrong, not him.

Fortunately, two guys came over to their table, destroying the awkward silence surrounding it. One of the men had short ash-brown hair and intense brown eyes that reminded Annie of a certain someone.

The guy next to him had short black hair swept to the right, freckles splashed across the bridge of his nose and under his eyes. Upon closer inspection, Annie saw that the two men were holding hands.

"Hello Miss." The freckled-man greeted her, "I'm Marco Bodt; who might you be?"

"Annie Jaeger, nice to meet you." She waved, slightly biting her lower lip, "You two are together? Engaged?"

Marco blushed at the question, "D-Do we give off that kind of vibe?"

"Marco, you're stuttering." The other man said softly, "Take your time, there's no need to rush."

Marco nodded slightly, turning to his lover, "This is Jean Kirschtein. Jean, meet Annie."

"I heard." Jean nodded, an aura of seriousness around him, "Nice to meet you."

"I'm Eren." Eren spoke up from his corner, "Annie's fiance."

Jean turned to him and blinked in acknowledgment, "Sorry if I'm antisocial. We've been here setting up and right now I just wanna sleep."

"Ah! Jean!" Marco looked at him, concern filling his hazel brown eyes, "You should have told me you were tired. Let's go home right now!"

"No, no, no." Jean shook his head, "You're having fun aren't you? It'd be messed up if you had to leave just because of me."

"Jean, these people are nice and all, but you come first." Marco kissed his cheek, "No more arguing okay? Let's go home."

Jean pressed his lips together tightly, "Alright."

Marco made eye contact with Eren, Armin and Annie before speaking, "Hopefully we'll meet again. Sorry I have to leave so soon."

"It's alright." Annie spoke for the three of them, "Take care of your boyfriend."

"I will." Marco nodded, smiling at Annie. He removed two coats from their seats, handing Jean his. When they were both buttoned down, they left the three of them, disappearing into the crowd.

 _We're back to square one_ , Eren thought to himself as he rested his head against the table. They were supposed to be infiltrating the enemy, but with no reason to move, this was proving to be an increasingly slow mission and patience was not one of Eren's virtues.

He drummed his fingers on the table, silently wishing for something to go off, for panic and chaos. Eren thrived on that, it seemed.

Armin laughed at a text and stood up, "I'll be gone just a second, alright?"

"Take your time." Eren waved him off and when he was out of earshot said, "Not like we're going anywhere."

"Would you _quit_ it?" Annie yanked his arm.

Eren turned to her, "Quit what?"

"Quit acting like you'd rather be somewhere else." Annie frowned, "For God's sake Eren, can't you read the mood?"

 _The mood, ey?_ He leaned in and kissed her so quickly, she didn't have time to react.

Her hands slowly covered her mouth as her face turned green.

"Oh come on." Eren rolled his eyes, reaching out to her, "It wasn't that bad. Here, we can redo it if you-"

She shook her head, "Don't touch me." She stood up from the table.

"And where do you think you're going?" Eren started to get up, following after her.

"Away from you." She shot him a deadly look and continued through the crowd.

Rather than chase after her and draw attention to themselves, Eren just sighed and leaned back in his chair. _She'll be fine_ , he told himself, _she'll be fine_.

But would she?

"It wasn't even that big of a deal." Eren told himself, "She's just so..."


End file.
